My Brother Cedric
by meggyme
Summary: Let me introduce the first of my three stories to be written. It's called My Brother Cedric. What? You didn't know Cedric had siblings? That shows how much you know. jk
1. Part One

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All, with the exception of my darling Megan Diggory, belong to the wonderful JK Rowling.

My Brother Cedric

Part One

I never could have seen myself writing this story. I never would have thought myself worthy of writing about my brother. He was always smarter, braver, and stronger. It was an insult to think of oneself as better than Cedric. For the fifteen years that I had known Cedric, he has always been kind, loving, and supportive. He's never yelled at me, even if he were mad, and would go ballistic if anyone even suggested hurting me. He was very protective of me. He would always make sure that I was okay, and that I was happy. He was the best older brother in the world.

The day that he got his letter, I remember it so well. We were eating breakfast, and planning what to do with our last few days of summer, before going back to muggle school. As we finished our cereal, an owl flew in the window. We were used to this now, since Dad received owls all the time. But this owl wasn't addressed to Dad. It was for Cedric. He opened it, then read it aloud. By the time he had finished, Mum was crying, and Dad had Cedric in a tight hug. That very same day, we all went to Diagon Ally. It was amazing there. Although I didn't get anything, I still enjoyed the trip immensely.

The day that Cedric left for Hogwarts, I remember crying, because I had just said goodbye to my best friend. It would be a whole year before I would receive a letter and travel with him to Hogwarts. Cedric wrote often, more to me than my parents, but he always made sure that I told them 'hello' for him. He wrote and told me about the gigantic castle, the giant squid, and that he was now a Hufflepuff. This surprised me, because I always thought that he would be a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, because he was so brave and smart. But, I figured that since he couldn't be in both houses, he had to settle for Hufflepuff, which was kind of the middle ground. He kept me posted on what was going on, giving vivid descriptions of the school. He was very good at describing his surroundings.

When the summer finally came for me to go to Hogwarts, I was ecstatic. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in Hufflepuff, just like Cedric. In my second year, I would play Quidditch, just like Cedric. I would take Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes, just like Cedric. The list went on and on, but most of them had to do with being exactly like Cedric. Cedric was my role model. He was the standard that I had to live up to. I knew that I could never be "just like Cedric" but I felt that I had to try. Cedric always set a good example for me, which only made me want to be like him even more. He never minded being copied so closely. In fact, I think that he rather enjoyed the attention. Soon, the day had finally come for me to travel to Hogwarts. I sat with Cedric and his friends. They seemed annoyed that I was sitting with them, but Cedric didn't care, and neither did I. I was with my best friend again.

Once we reached Hogwarts, I had to leave Cedric's side, and travel across the lake with Hagrid, a very large man. Soon, we were standing in front of the Great Hall, which looked exactly as I had imagined from Cedric's depiction, and the sorting began. "Diggory, Megan," Professor McGonagall called. She was a tall woman with brown hair that was pulled back into a tight bun. I slowly trudged towards the stool sitting next to her. I sat down, and let the Sorting Hat fall over my eyes. A million thoughts were running through my head, most of which were 'Please let me be in Hufflepuff!' and 'I hope I get to follow in Cedric's footsteps!' Then, I heard a voice coming from nowhere in particular.

"So, you want to be like Cedric, do you? Want to be in Hufflepuff? I don't think that is where you should be placed. Maybe Gryffindor. But if you insist, HUFFLEPUFF IT IS!" The sorting hat shouted the last three words to the Hall. Once Professor McGonagall had taken the hat from my head, I could see my brother Cedric, clapping harder than the whole lot, and saying to the people around him, "That's my sister!" Once I reached the table of Hufflepuffs, I was greeted by a hug from my brother. He hugged me so tight, that I thought my head would come off. That night, I stayed up in the common room with my brother, talking about school, until Professor Sprout, the head of the Hufflepuff house, came in and suggested that we go to bed.

That year, I enjoyed myself more than I ever had. My brother would bring things back from Hogsmeade for me. Once the Weasley twins, who I had come to know, showed me how to get to Hogsmeade I began going with my brother. We had the most amazing time dodging teachers and walking through the town. Soon, Christmas came. We stayed at Hogwarts, because our mum and dad were visiting an aunt in Salem, Massachusetts, in the United States. We spent the break playing Quidditch, even though I wasn't on the team. I often showed up to help out at their practices. I was learning how to be a chaser, even though I would much rather have been a seeker like Cedric. I learned the ropes of the game very quickly that Christmas break. When Christmas finally came, we sat together in the common room, and exchanged presents. I had gotten him a book called "Quidditch Moves for Seekers." Cedric then handed me a small box. At first I thought that Cedric was a bit behind his normal standard. Then I opened the box and saw what was inside. "Cedric this is beautiful!" I said. Inside lay a small bracelet. The delicate chain was adorned with a heart charm. It had been engraved. It read: "Megan and Cedric Diggory, Best Friends Forever"

"I thought that you would like it," he said confidently. He helped me put it on, then I threw my arms around him. After a few minutes, we went down to the Great Hall for the Christmas feast. We sat together, chatting warmly about what we would do during the remainder of our break. Soon the rest of the school had returned. I wore my new bracelet everywhere, and showed it to anyone who would stay around long enough to see it. Since I didn't really have many friends, that number was relatively small. The reason that I didn't have many friends, was that I really wasn't meant to be in Hufflepuff. The common room was too quiet, and every one worked on their homework whenever they were in there. There was no exploding snap, or wizard's chess games. There was only books, parchment, and people. Like the sorting hat had said, I was more like the Gryffindors. That is why I had become friends with many from their house. Fred, George, and Lee became my friends, but they didn't appreciate fine jewelry. Another reason that I didn't have many friends in my own house, was that I spent most of my time with Cedric. I became better friends with the second years than I did with my own year. Yet another reason was that I didn't dress like most girls when I wasn't wearing robes. Since I wanted to be just like Cedric, I felt that I had to dress like Cedric. I wore slacks and sweaters. I also cut my hair as short as my mum would let me.

Soon, the year had almost finished. Once Cedric and I had boarded the train, we sat down in a full compartment with Cedric, Lee, Fred, George, Cho ( a pretty second year Ravenclaw that Cedric and I had come to know) and a couple of others. We walked off the platform together to meet our parents. We were greeted with hugs and kisses, and "welcome back"s. We returned home to our house in the middle of the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Cedric and I went over to see the Weasley's often. We would spend the day playing exploding snap, or wizard's chess. Ron, the twin's younger brother, was a very good chess player. While Cedric and Ron played chess, Fred, George, Ginny (the youngest child and only girl) and I played exploding snap. This is how we spent most of our summer. The next year, after reading an article in Mum's Witch's Weekly I realized that I didn't have to dress like Cedric to be like Cedric. Also, a lot of the reason that Cedric was who he was, is that he is popular. Part of the reason for this is that he dresses well. So, my style changed from slacks and sweaters, to jeans, skirts, shirts, etc. I felt very confident while packing up my school trunk. I also decided to become more sociable with the students in my year. This became something of a New Year's resolution.

When school finally started again, I was more than happy to board the train. With new books and a new year ahead of me, I was ready. Dad bought me a Nimbus 2000, for me to use in Quidditch. He had not told my mum, for she felt that Quidditch was too rough of a sport for a girl to play. But I was determined to be just like Cedric, and I already had my name down for a position as a chaser. That year, I was allowed to go to Hogwarts in the carriages, like the rest of the school. I went in a carriage with a few students that I recognized from my classes. I tried to strike up a conversation, but it didn't seem to work. So, most of the trip was spent in silence while I twiddled with my bracelet. Once in the Great Hall, the sorting began. It didn't change at all, except for the song, which had been rewritten, but portrayed the same information.

Then, Professor McGonagall began reading names. We received a plethora of new students, including Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, Wayne Hopkins, Megan Jones, and Michael Corner. The Gryffindors received Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Ron Weasley (the twin's younger brother) and...

"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall shouted. The hall suddenly went quiet as Harry walked up and put on the sorting hat. There was a silence that seemed to last forever. I could see all the prefects and Quidditch captains hoping and praying that he would be sorted into their house. Finally the sorting hat gave an answer.

"Gryffindor!" it shouted. All the faces of those praying fell, while an eruption was heard from the Gryffindor table. Everyone clapped anyway, trying not to show their disappointment. Even Cedric was looking a bit down, which was unusual for his perpetually sunny personality.

The month wore slowly on. Eventually, Quidditch trials began. I showed up, and auditioned for the Chaser position that they had open. Over the summer, the Weasley's, Cedric and I had been practicing, making sure to fly low, so as not to be seen by muggles. Anyway, I showed up, and was put to the test against their keeper. I managed to score three goals. The captain was obviously impressed, because as soon as I landed, he told me I had made the team.

Soon we were practicing every night, which didn't leave much time for homework, friends, or gaining popularity. I was still trying to make more friends, but since my first impression wasn't my best, it was harder than I had expected. Often I found myself coming into the common room near tears. Cedric was always there for me. "What's the matter Megan?" he asked one night.

"You wouldn't understand," I told him.

"Why not? Please tell me."

"After Quidditch practice, I went to the library, to do my homework. I was in one aisle, and a few second year Hufflepuffs were talking about me in the next one over. They were saying things like 'she's got an attitude' or 'she shouldn't be a Hufflepuff, she's too loud' or 'she gives us Hufflepuffs a bad image,' " I explained. I began to cry.

"Well, it's obvious that they don't know you like I do. You are the perfect Hufflepuff. You are smart, pretty, hard-working, and brave. Braver than me even." This shocked me. I never would have seen myself as braver than my brother. It just didn't seem possible.

"But it's all true. I'm not supposed to be in Hufflepuff, I'm supposed to be in Gryffindor. The sorting hat told me so." Cedric looked confused. "But I told the sorting hat, in my head that I didn't want to be a Gryffindor. I wanted to be a Hufflepuff, just like you. That's why I can't make any friends in Hufflepuff. Because I'm nothing like them."

"If the sorting hat didn't think that you belonged in Hufflepuff, then why did it put you here? There must be some sort of reason."

"I told the sorting hat that I wanted to be in Hufflepuff. It knew that I would be just as miserable if I weren't in the same house as you." Tears were still pouring down my cheeks. All the other Hufflepuffs were too busy doing their homework to notice that I was crying.

"Well, I still think that you are a fantastic Hufflepuff. Mainly because we are going to clobber the Ravenclaws this weekend." I couldn't help but laugh, which made all the Hufflepuffs in the common room shush me. I hugged Cedric. He always had a way of making me feel better about myself. Maybe it has something to do with knowing that the person you hope to be like is supporting you, and watching out for you. "Trust me. As soon as we beat the Ravenclaws, everyone will be wanting to be your friend." It was a comforting thought, knowing that if I helped beat the Ravenclaws, that everything would be perfect. This thought made me work even harder during Quidditch practices. I felt that I had to live up to Cedric's expectations and beat the Ravenclaws.

When the day finally came, Cedric made sure that I was feeling confident about myself. I was, seeing what I could do during practices, but games were a completely different story. Your teammates know what you are doing in practices, while in games, you can catch them off guard. In practices, the plays are choreographed, while in games, the opponent may have an interesting approach to a play, causing it not to work. We did end up beating the Ravenclaws, but not by much. Cedric's prediction of after the game was only partially correct. A few die-hard Quidditch fans would come up to me, and say hello in the morning, but only to leave very quickly. At least I was getting a little more attention.

Soon Christmas came. We went home for Christmas. It was a very uneventful break. For that matter, so was the rest of the year, unless you count Harry Potter foiling the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's plot to steal a precious stone an event. But it didn't affect me directly, so I guess not.

By the end of the year, I had a few more friends than I had last year, but the number hadn't gotten too much higher. That summer, our family went to France. It was a beautiful place, but the muggles were plentiful, so not much magic was used, and we basically lived like muggles for several weeks. When school started again, I felt very glad to be leaving muggles behind. I never had anything to talk to them about. I couldn't talk about Quidditch, or Hogwarts, or magic. Most of the time, I would comment on the weather, they would comment on my bracelet, and I would leave. Once we got to Hogwarts, we went through the annual sorting ceremony. No other famous people were sorted this year. Quidditch went on as usual. Classes also began uneventfully. The only treat, were random trips to Hogsmeade.

On Halloween, though a horrible thing happened. After coming from the Great Hall and the Halloween feast, Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch's cat was petrified. Nobody knew who had done it, but Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were found at the scene of the crime. Also, red words were written on the wall. It said that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Soon, muggle-born wizards and witches were found petrified. Everyone became skittish. Teachers escorted students from class to class. It was not a very good time at all. And then, Fred and George's little sister, Ginny was taken captive in the Chamber of Secrets. Things were horrible. But soon, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley came to her rescue. Then it was summer time once again.

That summer, while watching the muggle news with the Weasley's, we saw that Sirius Black had escaped from prison. Cedric and I rushed home to be with our parents. They were very worried. When the Daily Prophet came, we got full wizard details. He had escaped from Azkaban, a feat that no other person had ever achieved. He was now looking for Harry Potter! Dementors would be sent to Hogwarts in order to keep Black out. Also, they were given permission to administer the Dementor's kiss to him on the spot. This was kind of reassuring, but I still kept thinking that he may burst through the window and kill Cedric or myself with one curse. I frequently had nightmares about such events. Often I found myself running into Cedric's room in the middle of the night, and allowing him to comfort me. He would never get angry if I woke him up. He was always caring. I was quite relieved to get on the train. I felt much safer at school with Dumbledore around, and now with the Dementors coming to guard the entrances, I felt like he would never be able to get in.

The trip on the train was kind of scary. While the rain poured down on the steam engine, we stopped in the middle of a dark and spooky forest. Then, the lights flickered. A cold presence swept over me. A dementor had just boarded the train. The rest of the trip was very cold and unhappy. When we reached the castle, everyone was more than happy to get inside and dry off. The rest of the first couple months resumed. Soon, we had our first Quidditch match. The first game of the season was supposed to be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, but due to a problem with their seeker's arm, Hufflepuff would be playing Gryffindor. Cedric had been named the Quidditch captain, and had managed to fill all the vacancies in a short period of time. The day of the match was horrible. The rain made it impossible to see anything and the wind didn't help either.

We all walked out onto the field, wearing yellow robes. Before the first whistle was blown, we were soaked to the bone. Even with the rain and wind, we managed to score a few goals. But even with our few goals, we were fifty points behind. At that point, Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor keeper and captain called for a time-out. "We are down by fifty points, but we can make it still. Chasers, we need as many points as possible. I will do my best to catch the snitch, but if not, we need those points to help us in the Quidditch Cup running. Let's go!" We were up in the air for only a few minutes before we had made two more goals. Suddenly, Cedric flattened himself to his broom, speeding towards the Hufflepuff goal. Harry Potter, the Gryffindor seeker was looking in the opposite direction. Only when Wood told him what was happening did he chase after Cedric. The chasers stopped, and I'm pretty sure that the crowd gasped, although I couldn't hear them over the wind. Then, a chill rushed over us, not from the storm, but from the hundreds of Dementors in long black cloaks that were spilling onto the field. I watched as Harry Potter's hand slipped from his broom, falling to the ground. Dumbledore caught him with a levitating spell, and brought him back to the castle, but before anyone could do anything, his broom collided with the Whomping Willow, a large tree that hits back.

While all this was happening, Cedric was pleading with Madam Hooch to allow a rematch. She stood firm in saying that Hufflepuff had won fair and square. Cedric had caught the snitch as Harry fell. He felt bad that he had won because of the dementors. Then Oliver Wood came over and shook Cedric's hand. "Well done Diggory. You've won," he said in a monotone voice. Cedric tried to ask for a rematch, but no one would give it to him. The rest of the year continued slowly. There were a few instances with Sirius Black breaking into the castle. At one point they caught him, but he slipped through their fingers. The dementors were relieved from their duties when Harry Potter was almost "kissed" by a dementor.

We returned home, to Ottery St. Catchpole. That summer, continued rather dully until Dad came home one day, thrilled about something.

"What's happened Dad? Have they caught Sirius yet?" I asked.

"No. I've got even better news!" he remarked.

"Even better that catching a wanted convict?" Mum asked, surprised.

"Yes, much better than that!"

"What could be better than that?" asked Cedric, getting anxious.

"I've got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup!!!!!" He practically screamed. Cedric and I

jumped up from the chairs where we were sitting.

"YOU'VE GOT TICKETS!!!!!" Cedric and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Or rather, Cedric and your father have tickets," my mum corrected.

"What do you mean?" Dad asked.

"Well, you know how I feel about the sport. It's too violent for a young woman to be participating in. I would feel much more comfortable if Megan didn't accompany you this time." I was speechless, which rarely happened. I began playing with my bracelet, as I did when I was confused, mad, sad, or experiencing any other negative emotion.

"But Mum, she won't be playing. Just watching," Cedric said in my defense.

"Just the same, I don't want to encourage such a rough game."

"Oh, come on Martha. This is a once in a life time opportunity. She may never see the World Cup played in England for another thirty years!" Dad said, trying to convince Mum. But she stood firm on her decision. In addition to not going to the game, I was dragged through Diagon Ally for Cedric and my school supplies. Not that I needed to be dragged, I just would have rather been at the World Cup. Cedric promised to tell me everything, and bring me a souvenir. After an extremely long day, they returned home. Cedric showed me the program, the Viktor Krum figurine, and the pictures he had taken, while he then recounted everything that happened, from the portkey, to the campsite, to the game, to the Death Eater after party. He didn't seem concerned that something like this happened with such tight security, but I was.

"Why would the Death Eaters try and pull anything with all the Ministry people walking around?"

"They were drunk. They couldn't control themselves," he reassured.

"Are you sure? What if something happens? What if this is a sign of things to come?" He smiled gently.

"There is nothing to worry about. They got the whole situation under control very quickly." Cedric seemed sure that nothing else was going to happen. But somehow, he had not convinced me. That night, at dinner, Dad told us about the Triwizard Tournament that would be held at Hogwarts this coming year.

"It will be amazing. There hasn't been one in over 100 years. Students from Wizarding schools in France and Bulgaria will be coming to Hogwarts. Three champions, one from each school will compete in three tasks. They will be awarded points, and the person with the most points wins," Dad explained.

"Wins what?" I asked.

"Now Megan. I don't want you trying to win something like this. This is dangerous. I don't want you going and getting yourself killed," my mum chided.

"Mum, she's tougher than you think," Cedric said, taking a bite of his potatoes.

"Yes, of course she is. But Dumbledore has recognized that even though special precautions have been taken, that wizards of a certain age will not be prepared to compete in such a difficult competition. Therefore, he has decided that only wizards who are seventeen, or older will be able to compete." Both my and Cedric's mouths dropped.

"Good for him. He may be saving himself a lot of time and trouble by doing it this way," said Mum sourly.

"Anyway, the prize is one thousand Galleons." Once again our mouths dropped open.

"One Thousand Galleons?!" Cedric whispered.

"And your name down in history! The Triwizard Cup is serious business," Dad continued. "You will be eligible to enter Cedric. Why don't you give it a shot. Merlin knows that you could use a thousand galleons once you finish school, and step out into the world."

"But Amos-" Mum started.

"Mum, Cedric's tougher than you might think," I said, smiling at Cedric. He smiled back._ Just returning the favor_, I thought.


	2. Part Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything, with the exception of my darling Megan Diggory, belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling.

""This is the text that is taken directly from the fourth book, Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire"" all other script is of my own creation. Please do not sue me.

My Brother Cedric

Part Two

Soon we were boarding the train. We sat down in an empty compartment and waited for familiar faces to pop their heads in. Shortly the train was moving, and we were playing exploding snap.

"It's too bad that you won't be able to say that you've won the Quidditch Cup. That could really help you with a Quidditch career, if you're exploring that option," said Cho. Her father worked in the Ministry as well and knew that there would be no Quidditch, due to the tournament.

"Yeah, well, maybe my sister will be able to say it for me." I began to blush. My hand found my bracelet. "After all, I wouldn't be the least surprised if she became the new Quidditch captain next year." We soon reached the castle. After the sorting ceremony, Professor Dumbledore announced to those who didn't have Ministry parents that the Triwizard Cup would be happening at Hogwarts. Soon Halloween was approaching. Students from Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang were set to arrive at Hogwarts, on October 30th. The usual Halloween ornaments of 1,000 live bats, pumpkins taller than Hagrid, which is saying something, and orange crepe paper snakes floating high above the heads of the students were accounted for.

Around six o'clock, each house lined up with their head of house. We all waited impatiently for the two schools to arrive, wondering how they would come all the way from France and Bulgaria. Just as I was about to ask Cedric this question, I saw a large bluish blackish figure in the darkening sky. As it came closer, I realized that it was being drawn by twelve horses with wings. Each horse was a glowing gold palomino three times as tall as a normal horse. The carriage also seemed to be three times as big as it should be. Once the carriage landed, the doors opened and a lady that looked about as tall as Hagrid stepped out.

""My dear Madame Maxime,"" Dumbledore said. ""Welcome to Hogwarts.""

""Dumbly-dorr, I 'ope I find you well?"" the giant woman said.

""In excellent form, I thank you,"" Dumbledore responded.

""My pupils,"" she said as she gestured to the small group of seventeen year olds standing behind her.

""'As Karkaroff arrived yet?"" Madame Maxime inquired.

""He should be here any moment. Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"" Dumbledore offered.

""Warm up, I think,"" answered Madame Maxime on behalf of her students, none of whom disagreed. ""But ze 'orses-""

""Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other -er- charges."" Dumbledore reassured.

""My steeds require -er- forceful 'andling. Zey are very strong...""

""I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job.""

""Very Well, Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?""

""It will be attended to.""

""Come,"" Madame Maxime barked to her students. They all followed gratefully into the castle. Everyone returned to waiting for Durmstrang.

""The lake! Look at the lake!"" yelled Lee Jordan, one of Fred and George's friends. All heads turned towards the lake. The usually still lake was now bubbling, which made huge waves rise from nowhere. As the entire school of Hogwarts watched the surface of the lake, the mast of a ship soon emerged. Then the riggings, then the deck, and finally, a fully grown ship laid bobbing on the lake's surface. The ship then turned towards the castle. Once they had reached the shore, they dropped the anchor, and lowered a plank onto the shore. Then several shadows emerged into the light. One, I recognized instantly as Viktor Krum from one of Cedric's Quidditch magazines. My jaw dropped as a man with the same body type as Dumbledore, a shorter white beard with a curl at the end shook our headmaster's hand.

""Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"" the man asked.

""Blooming, thank you Professor Karkaroff,"" Dumbledore answered him.

""Dear old Hogwarts. How good it is to be here, how good.... Viktor, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold....""

""Not at all. Let's all go into the Great Hall, and get warm, shall we?"" Dumbledore said,

directing everyone into the castle. Once everyone had sat down, the Beauxbatons with the Ravenclaws, and the Durmstrang students with the Slytherins, Professor Dumbledore stood up. The hall fell silent.

""Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially open at the end of the feast. I now invite you to eat, drink and make yourselves at home!"" Just like that, the plates filled with the usual amazing feast, along with some dishes that I had never seen before.

"Ew! These are chewy!" I said, feeling obliged to chew.

"That's escargot, Megan," Cedric informed. The puzzled look on my face prompted him to add, "snails are a French delicacy." I stopped chewing right then and there. Once we had all finished eating, Dumbledore stood up again.

""The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those of you who don't know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."" After a moment of applause, Dumbledore continued. ""Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts.""

After a short pause, he said, "" The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."" Mr. Filch walked towards the teacher's table carrying a large wooden box with jewels inset on the top. It looked rather battered. ""The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways... their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and of course, their ability to cope with danger. As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire. Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

""To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."" He paused for effect. ""Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name into the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now I think that it is time for bed. Good night to you all.""

Then Dumbledore walked off to the entrance hall to set up the goblet and the Age Line. After dinner, I talked with Fred, George, and Lee.

"Are you going to try and get past the Age Line, Megan?" asked George.

"I don't know. My mum doesn't want me to try and enter. 'It might be too dangerous.'" I said, mocking my mum.

"Oh, come on. We're going to take Aging Potion. We are only a few months short of seventeen. That should be enough to get us over the line. You should take some too. You will need a little bit more than us, but it should work just as well," offered Lee.

"What happens if it doesn't work?" I asked quizzically.

"Um..." began Fred, looking at George for an answer.

"Never mind. I rather like being fifteen. And besides, Cedric is entering. I would never have a chance against him. Good night." I said, walking away. The next morning, I watched as Fred, George, and Lee all walked towards the hospital wing together. Fred and George had tried the Aging Potion. They had grown beards due to the Age Line. I couldn't help but laugh, just like everyone else in the room. Just then, Cedric walked in.

"Good morning Cedric," I said brightly. "Good morning. I was just about to put in my name," he returned.

"You're going to go for it? Really? That's great!" Cedric laughed. "What?"

"I figured that's how you'd react." The rest of the day was spent catching up on homework for next week. Although I tried to concentrate on my studies, I just kept thinking about Cedric, and if he would be selected. From all the people that I had seen put in their names from Hogwarts, Cedric seemed the most able. All the students from Beauxbatons seemed to be rather... soft. It was the Durmstrang bunch that worried me. Cedric seemed to have a clear shot at champion. But it wasn't just champion that he was running for. He also had to size up the competition. But Cedric was too modest to believe that he was such a shoe in for champion. He didn't even bother thinking about it. Soon, it was time for dinner. All the Hufflepuffs seemed to flood from the common room at the same time, all trying to walk with Cedric. He made sure that I was sitting next to him, along with his other friends. He wasn't going to allow his entering his name interfere with his daily life. After dinner, during which everyone kept looking at the goblet, which had been set in front of Dumbledore, the headmaster stood up.

""Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions."" He then turned down the candles with one sweep of his wand. The entire hall sat, staring at the goblet, with it's shimmering, blue-white light. I could feel the usual cold surface of my heart charm as I rubbed it with my finger. Just then, the light emitted from the goblet turned a deep red. As it did, a half burnt portion of a scroll shot out of the mouth of the goblet. Dumbledore took the chunk of parchment and read it.

""The champion for Durmstrang,"" he read loudly, ""will be Viktor Krum."" Everyone clapped politely, while the Durmstrangs patted Viktor on the back. He got up and walked to the nearby room, as Dumbledore had instructed.

""Bravo, Viktor!"" Karkaroff's voice could be heard. ""Knew you had it in you!"" Once everyone had settled down, the goblet spit out another piece of parchment.

""The champion for Beauxbatons, is Fleur Delacour!"" said Dumbledore. The Ravenclaw table where the Beauxbatons students were sitting clapped loudly. A girl with long, platinum blonde hair stood up and followed Viktor Krum. After what seemed like an hour, the clapping died down, and Dumbledore took the third piece of burnt paper. Everyone at the Hufflepuff table sat, with fingers crossed, praying, including me.

""The Hogwarts champion,"" Dumbledore began. The dramatic pause that followed was painstaking. ""Is Cedric Diggory!"" The Hufflepuff table erupted. There was no other word for it. Everyone stood up to clap, and shake Cedric's hand, but they would have to wait.

"Congratulations Ced!" I yelled over the crowd, taking is hand. "I knew you would get it!"

"Thanks! I thought I might, but no reason to get my hopes up!" he yelled back. Soon he had shook every hand within reach at least once. After he left to join the other champions, the hall quieted down a bit, and Dumbledore resumed his speech.

""Excellent! Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very real-"" He stopped short, and the reason became obvious when yet another paper flew from the mouth of the goblet. He reached out to take it. He sat staring at it as if he had never seen paper before, while the rest of the hall sat in suspense. Finally, Dumbledore read the paper.

""Harry Potter."" I gasped. Harry Potter? How did he manage to get his name in. He's even younger than me! He can't possibly be a champion! Besides, we already have the Hogwarts champion. Cedric is the Hogwarts champion! ""Harry Potter! Harry! Up here, if you please!"" Dumbledore said, sounding annoyed. Harry got up and walked to the staff table. ""Well... through the door, Harry."" he said. He walked through the door, as he was told. Soon, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Madame Maxime, and Professor Karkaroff walked into the room also. The students left, all talking about the weird change of events.

"How can they let him compete?!" I asked of Susan Bones, a fourth year Hufflepuff. "How can they deprive Cedric of the glory of being Hogwarts champion?!"

"I don't know. Are you sure that they are going to even let him compete? He is underage, you know."

"Number one, this is Harry Potter we are talking about. He got on the Quidditch team a year earlier than all the other students. He went up to the third floor, when it was forbidden, without consequence. He always gets away with things that most of us wouldn't be able to get away with. Number two, once your name is in the goblet, you're stuck. Whether you want to or not, you have to compete. He's got no choice, but to be a champion."

"Sounds like it's not his fault that he is competing," Susan suggested.

"Then, how did he get his name in there?"

"I don't know, but I blame the system." That night, I waited in the common room with the rest of the house. We had all pooled our resources and managed to compile a good heap of chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's every flavor beans, and Peppermint Humbugs. Plus, I made a trip to Hogsmeade with the Weasley's and got several bottles of butterbeer. Once Cedric arrived, a sign had been hung, reading "A Hufflepuff Champion!" As he walked into the common room, everyone turned to congratulate him once again. He seemed amused that the entire common room, which was usually covered in books and homework, could transform so quickly into a party. Once everyone began disappearing to their dormitories, I finally had a moment to congratulate Cedric, so that he could hear me.

"Congratulations once again," I said. "Cho wishes you well, by the way."

"Thanks," he said. He was obviously getting tired of being congratulated.

"So... what is happening with Harry?" I asked timidly.

"What about Harry?" he asked, knowing what I wanted to know. I rolled my eyes before

answering.

"You know what I mean."

"He is going to compete. Hogwarts will have two champions. Madame Maxime and Karkaroff weren't too happy about it."

"I don't blame them. Do you know how is name got in there?"

"Professor Moody seemed pretty sure that it was planted there, because someone wants

him dead. But then again, you know how Moody can be. I asked Harry on my way back how he did it, but he wouldn't tell me." After thinking about this for a little while, I decided to ask what had been bugging me since the Halloween feast.

"Do you think that he entered his own name?"

"I don't know how he would have done it. He didn't grow a beard. He could have asked

someone older to put it in for him, but I don't know who he would have asked."

"Do you think he put it in there, just because he wants the fame?" I asked. This took Cedric by surprise, because he goggled at me for awhile.

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, he seems to have done everything. He saved the Sorcerer's stone, killed a basilisk and saved Ginny Weasley, and tried to capture Sirius Black. That's quite a tall order. But since Sirius Black got away, maybe he feels that he is falling out of the spotlight. Maybe he thought that it was time to get famous again."

"I know that he seems to have done a lot, but that's no reason to accuse him of something that someone else did. How do you know that one of the death eaters didn't put in his name to get him killed?"

"How do you know that's not just an excuse to get more fame? You said so yourself that Moody was probably just being paranoid," I almost yelled. "Or maybe, he wanted revenge. You did beat him last time we played the lot at Quidditch. Maybe, when he heard that you were entering, he thought that he would try to stop you from getting the title of champion."

"What's gotten into you lately? It's really no big deal whether or not Harry is competing against me. As long as Hogwarts gets the cup."

"But you know that everyone will focus on him."

"Is that what this is all about? The fame?"

"No. Of course not. It's just - Harry Potter is famous for everything, some of which, he had no control over. I mean, how many one-year olds can recognize a dark wizard about to kill them, then conjure enough protection to save themselves? Not even a full grown wizard can do that. And you deserve a little bit of recognition. This was supposed to be your chance to shine. And if you're not going to stand up for it, then I will."

"What do you mean, 'stand up for it'?"

"I'm going to protest against Harry being a champion. Hermione Granger, a fourth year Gryffindor gave me the idea. She's been circulating these little pins..."

"Meg, please! Don't go passing out pins, telling people to support me instead of Harry. It's discrimination. As long as they support Hogwarts, we can't lose."

"Well, I'm going up to bed." I said, pretending to yawn. I began to walk up the stairs to my dorm.

"Megan! Don't do it!" Cedric called after me.

"Good night!" I said, like I hadn't heard him. That night, I stayed up very late, making the pins. I had taken several old SPEW pins of Hermione's and changed them. They now read: SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY- THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION! I would get more pins during the next Hogsmeade trip, which was coming up. I passed out the few pins that I had to fellow Hufflepuffs, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Ernie McMillan. I also offered one to Cho, from Ravenclaw, but she refused, while she promised to show support to Cedric. After I ran out of pins, a few Slytherins came up to me, asking if I had the pins they had seen the Hufflepuffs wearing. One of these Slytherins was particularly evil looking, with white-blonde hair, and was being followed by two large boys, who looked rather mug.

"I just ran out. I could make one for you if you have an old pin. Hermione Granger from Gryffindor is passing out pins for some spew thing," I told them.

"Spew? What kind of name is that?" said the blond boy. "Well, I've got some pins. Here. I'll take ten," he said, handing me a pile of buttons.

"Great! I'll try and have them to you by dinner." I then began working on the buttons. I had most of them finished by that evening, but not all of them. Cedric was still being modest about winning. After I had finished with the Slytherin's pins, I began seeing them everywhere. I felt very proud of myself. I had stuck up for Cedric when he was being too modest to do it himself. Every now and then, I would see Harry walking through the halls. As he did, I saw the the Slytherins had made a few adjustments to my buttons. Now, they flashed POTTER STINKS when you touched them. I felt that this was being a bit extreme, and then decided that I would stop making them. I wanted people to support Cedric, but I didn't want them to hate Harry.

Soon the week of the first task had arrived. Cedric began to pace everywhere. He always paced when he was nervous. He had done so the week before his OWLs and when he and Dad were waiting for the World Cup tickets to arrive by owl. It was one of the few bad habits he possessed. He also wasn't nearly as cheerful as he usually was. He kept jumping at small noises, and he often dropped his books for no reason. The pressure of the task seemed to be getting to him. Then one day, during lunch, he practically waltzed into the Great Hall and he was actually smiling!

"What's happened? Has the task been postponed?" I asked. It would have explained why Cedric just about skipped to the Hufflepuff table.

"No. Better!" he answered as he sat down.

"What could be better than not having to do the task?"

"Knowing what it is," he replied calmly.

"Really?! But how?!" I asked loudly.

"Shhh. Harry told me." My mouth must have given way my thoughts, because it was hanging wide open. "He said that Madame Maxime and Karkaroff both knew about the dragons, and that they were bound to have told Fleur and Krum. He wouldn't tell me how he found out, but he said that it was only fair that I knew too. That way we would all start on even ground."

"Wow," was all that I could manage to say.

"Yeah. I guess that eliminates the 'wanted revenge' explanation. Any way, I still have to figure out how to get past it. Will you help me?" He turned on the puppy eyes.

"Sure. We should start right away. That will give us more time to find a good spell."

"Thanks. What would I do with out you?" We both got up and went to the library. Then, we pulled out as many books on dragons and dragon slaying that we could find.

"It says here that dragons are best dealt with, when they are confused," I read.

"A Confundus spell?" Cedric asked.

"No. It wouldn't work. It's head is covered with the thick scales. It wouldn't penetrate," I returned.

"What if I could get rid of one of it's weapons?"

"Like a freezing charm?"

"Yeah, but charms aren't very powerful. I was thinking of a switching spell. Switch fangs

for something else."

"Like what? It would still have fire breath." I flipped through the pages of another book.

"What about a distraction. Take the focus off of you, giving you enough time to get past?"

"It sounds like it would work, but the only thing distracting that I can transfigure, is a dog."

"How big of a dog?" I asked. He indicated a height a little lower than his waist. "That

might just work!" So, we set out to find something that he could transfigure. By walking outside, we tested things that would likely be in the arena where the task would take place. We tried bits of grass, gravel, twigs, and sand. Finally, he managed to transfigure a sufficient dog from a large gray stone. Once he had un-transfigured it, we set back to the castle. With Cedric's newfound confidence, he went back to his usual, cheery self. He even found time to walk through the halls with his friends, talking happily about what was to come. When the day finally came for the first task, he was still confident, but slightly more nervous than he had been. Classes lasted half the day. Then, we were released and all made our way to the stadium, behind the paddock.

"Good luck," I said as I dropped Cedric off at the champion's tent. Then, I found a seat with Cho, and all the other Hufflepuffs. We had made a sign, which we held high above us. After several minutes, which seemed like an eternity, a whistle blew, and Cedric stepped out into the arena. The crowd went wild. Mr. Bagman began commentating. Cedric looked up towards the banner. I waved. This appeared to encourage him, and he began. He ran up to the dragon, just out of her comfort area, and found a suitable rock. He transfigured the rock. It then ran up to the dragon. I could tell that it was barking madly, even though I couldn't hear it. While the dragon was examining the Labrador, Cedric began to make his way to the nest, where the golden egg lay. He was at the edge of the nest, when the dragon suddenly decided that Cedric was more of a threat. As Cedric grabbed the egg, the dragon reared on him with fiery breath. He ran towards the judges, but not before getting the side of his face scorched. He was immediately sent to see Madam Pomfrey. Then the judges gave their scores. He ended up with 38 points. I went down to ask if I could see him.

After persuading Madam Pomfrey that I just wanted to congratulate him, she let me in, but only for a few minutes. When I reached the curtained section where he was sitting, he smiled. He had an orange paste covering one side of his face, obviously healing the burn.

"Well done Ced."

"Thanks. 38's not bad."

"It was a very good transfiguration. You should have gotten more." In the distance, a whistle could be heard. It was then that Madam Pomfrey arrived with more orange paste for Cedric.

"Shoo!" she said. I waved goodbye, and returned to the stands to watch the other champions. The other champions did different spells. Fleur's didn't work very well, and she had trouble retrieving the egg, but she did do it. Viktor used what seemed like a complicated spell to hit it in the eye, but he was deducted points for squishing the other eggs as the dragon stumbled around blindly. Harry Potter was definitely the best one, next to Cedric of course. He used a summoning charm to summon his Firebolt. He then persuaded the dragon to leave her nest, and he got the egg in the shortest amount of time. He was soon tied for the lead with Viktor. If Karkaroff had given adequate points to Harry, then he would be in the lead.

After the first event, there was no longer a barrier between the Harry supporters and the Cedric supporters, except maybe the Slytherins, who were still sporting Support Cedric pins. But other than them, it was just the Hogwarts supporters. Those who didn't accept this automatically after the first task were convinced by Cedric that this was the only way that we would win. Soon Christmas came about. The Yule Ball, which was a Hogwarts tradition was also approaching. The rush to find a partner was becoming hectic. If you waited until the last minute, you would be stuck going by yourself.

Cedric wasted no time in asking Cho to accompany him. She agreed without question. I, on the other hand, had a slight problem. The champions got to open the dance. This was one of the perks of being a champion. But my chance at this moment wouldn't come again. I would either have to go with a champion, or miss my chance. The only other champions that were available were Viktor Krum and Harry Potter. Since I knew Harry better than I knew Krum, and since he was a great seeker and probably already had a date, I decided that Harry was more in reach. Or so I thought. The morning that I decided to ask him to the Yule Ball, I was running late. I had stayed up extremely late doing my Potions homework, and had slept in too late. I was looking a little scruffy because I was tardy, but I didn't care at the moment. I missed breakfast and was late for Herbology. Then, at lunch, I decided to go through with it. I wouldn't be just like Cedric if I chickened out. He would never back down. So, I approached Harry in the halls.

I tried to fix my hair while I walked up to where he was standing, but to no avail.

"Hey Harry! Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?" I asked as sweetly as possible. But in the middle of the sentence, my voice changed pitch from too little sleep. It came out sort of gruff.

"Um..." he said. He seemed to be sizing me up. He had to look up to see my face. He took in my rather messy hair, and my unwashed face. At that moment I tried to smile, but he had already made up his mind. "Actually, I already decided to ask someone else already." Ron Weasley was cracking up in the background.

"Oh, ok. Well, I guess that I'll see you around," I said, trying not to look abashed. He left, and I started thinking about who else I could ask. Just as I had asked myself this question, I saw Fred and George walking to their next class. "Hey, George. Hey, Fred. Do you both have partners for the ball?" I asked.

"I'm going with Angelina," Fred answered.

"Whom he hasn't asked yet," George continued. Fred gave him an elbow to the ribs.

"Well, would you be interested in going with me George?" I offered.

"Sure. Meet you at eight." Fred and George continued down the halls to their class. The rest of the time between then and Christmas passed slowly. Professor Flitwick allowed us to play games and talk, since we weren't giving our whole attention to the class. But he was the only one who felt this way. Soon Christmas break came. Most of the students in the upper years stayed because of the Yule Ball. The halls remained more crowded than usual. Cedric and I spent our time wondering what the screeching in the egg was. We hit the library once again. We checked out books on animal sounds this time. It seemed to have everything from muggle animals to the most rare of magical creatures, but we couldn't find anything on screeching noises. Then one day after his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, he came into the library and told me to stop looking.

"Why? What's happened? Has Harry told you what it is?" I said.

"No, but Moody has told me what to do with the egg in order to find out what the next task is. And it worked! Here, take a look," he said as he pushed a piece of paper to my face. It had what looked like a poem on it.

_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And recover what we've took,_

_But past an hour - the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

"It's a riddle. We've got to figure out what they will take and who is taking it," I said, thinking out loud.

"Well, I think that it is the merpeople that are stealing it. The voice sounded human underwater. But I don't know what they are going to take."

"What's your most prized possession?"

"My wand probably. I would feel unprotected without it."

"I don't think that they would take your wand. You would need it to cast a spell to let you breathe. Which reminds me that we need to find a spell like that."

"I know one. It's called the Bubblehead spell. We learned it last year in Charms."

"How does it work?" I wasn't insulting his intelligence, I simply wondered if it would work.

"It's fairly easy. I just have to cast a large bubble, which will enclose around my head, allowing me to breath."

"I don't know. What if it pops?"

"It won't. It's fairly impenetrable."

"Fairly is the word that's scaring me. I'm still not sure about this. What if it doesn't work?"

"It will. Trust me." I couldn't say no to that argument. I had trusted Cedric since the day we

met, and had continued to do so for the fifteen years since then. We then went back to the common room together. I was relieved that we didn't have to search anymore, but the worry that Cedric wouldn't make it through the next task loomed before me. When we reached the common room, Cedric stopped outside the entrance.

"I'm going to tell Harry," he said.

"What?"

"About the egg. I doubt that he's figured it out since I hadn't until Moody helped. I'm going to let him in on it."

"So you're just going to give it away? What if someone from the other schools hears and tells their champion? There are a million things that could go wrong."

"Don't worry. I won't let anything go wrong. I promise. Besides, I owe him for the dragons. I would have been even more toasted if he hadn't told me. And it's not like you to worry or be so competitive, what gives?"

"I don't know. I guess that I just want you to win. More than anything. Harry Potter has all the fame he needs, but you and our house need a bit of little credit once in a while. I still have misgivings about the spell, and you telling Harry. But, I guess we have to do what we have to do. Go ahead, but I'm going to keep looking for another spell."

Cedric shrugged, then answered, "Fine." He turned and left. Soon the day of the task arrived. I was going to walk down with Cho, but she wasn't where we had agreed to meet. So, I walked by myself down to the lake, where the task was being held. After waiting for Harry, Mr. Bagman began.

""Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One ... two ... three!"" the whistle blew. I watched as a large bubble formed at the tip of Cedric's wand. He then pointed the wand at his head, and the two united. He then dove into the lake, and vanished.

It was a long wait. We waited, and waited, and waited. We couldn't see anything but the icy mooth surface from the bleachers, and even if we were closer, we wouldn't be able to see anything in the depths of the green water. We waited for what seemed like long over an hour. Then a bell rang, and Bagman's voice.

"The one hour time limit is up, but so far none of our champions have shown up. We will extend the time period, but points will be marked off for exceeding the limit." Just then, an unnaturally round shape surfaced. It was Cedric, still using his Bubble-head spell. The Hogwarts students erupted. Cheers came from every mouth, including the Gryffindors. "Cedric Diggory is the first to return to the surface with Cho Chang. He has returned one minute outside of the time limit, but is the quickest to retrieve his hostage. Congratulations!" I ran down to meet them. Madam Pomfrey was wrapping them in blankets when I arrived.

"Good job Cedric, I didn't think that it would work!"

"Oh, ye of little faith," he replied. Both he and Cho laughed. I gave an awkward smile.

"Yeah, well, you have to admit that it was a little ambiguous," I said trying to stand up for myself.

"I thought it was a brilliant idea. So did Fleur, I heard that she used it too," answered Cho. I was beginning to get a strange feeling - a feeling that I had never experienced around Cedric and Cho, my two best friends - unwelcome and uncomfortable. I felt like they wanted me to leave. In fact, I think they were trying to ignore me. They continued carrying on their conversation without me.

"Well, I just came by to say congratulations," I said, trying to get their attention.

"Oh, um, thanks," Cedric said.

"See you later," I said back. They didn't hear me. Cedric was too busy recounting what he saw, and how he did it. I walked back to the school alone. I avoided Cedric and Cho at dinner. While I was alone in the common room, I realized that they had been spending an unusual amount of time together since Christmas. I had never noticed it before, but now that Cedric was actively excluding me, something he had never ever done, I saw the pages unfolding. I began to feel depressed. This was supposed to be a time for the Hufflepuffs to be celebrating a house victory. But while the house transformed to a loud, raunchy room, I hid in my room, looking out the window, wondering if my two best friends had forgotten about me. Since one didn't belong to my house, I waited for the other, who also happened to be my brother, to come and ask me to join. He never came.

Soon I got used to eating alone. Every now and then, Susan Bones would leave her friends to come and sit with me. Every now and then, I would wave to Cedric in the halls, and get a head nod, not even a "hello" or a wave in return. This made me stoop into an even more melancholy state. Between classes, I was often accompanied by the ever cheerful Weasley twins and Lee Jordan.

"Hey, Megan! Watch this!" George shouted as he turned himself into a canary. Both Fred and Lee burst out laughing, but I had too much on my mind to have fun. I had been trying to come up with any reason at all for Cedric's behavior. Was this another task? Could it be a test of virtue? Maybe he had been told to totally reject me, and see if I would still be loyal to him. Maybe this was all just a horrible nightmare. Or maybe he has finally overcome his modesty, and has gotten a big head, and is now ignoring me, just because he can.

"Wow, you really are depressed. That always works for Ginny," said Fred.

"Huh?" I said absentmindedly.

"Come off it, Megan. I know you're in a bad mood because of Cedric, but he's not worth your misery. Get over him!" Lee tried to comfort.

"Yeah, he's a sorry old git anyway," Fred agreed. This stopped me in my tracks.

"He's not a sorry old git," I said firmly. "He's my brother and my best friend. He's simply preoccupied and there is certainly nothing wrong with that! I'll see you later," I finished. I walked quickly through the halls to my next class. But as my footsteps rang strangely through the empty hallway, I began to process what they had said. What if they were right? What if he wasn't worth my time, misery, or admiration? What if he was the one that should apologize, and grovel for forgiveness? What if he was a sorry old git? Just then, I ran into the person who, momentarily, couldn't have the worst timing.

"So sorry... Oh Megan! I didn't even realize that it was you," Cedric said, handing me my transfiguration book.

"Like you would even know who I am," I retorted.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"If you knew anything about me anymore, you would know!"

"Megan, please tell me what this is about." His usual 'big brother will make it all better' face was in position.

"All I ever wanted was to be just like you, but you don't think that I deserve that title."

"What? Megan, how can you say something-"

"I'm not finished." He kind of jumped back. He had never seen me like this. I was usually so calm, but not this time. "I'm too slow, too stupid, too normal to come close to being you. You were the one person I ever looked up to, and you just took it for granted. Always raising the standard, knowing I'll never be able to reach it! Well guess what!" I began to fiddle with my bracelet, attempting to take it off, but in my anger, I couldn't find the clasp. I finally gave up and finished. "I don't care any more." With that, I sprinted off in the direction opposite of where he was going. I could hear Cedric calling after me, trying to catch up.

"Megan! Wait! I can explain!" But I paid no attention. The blood was pounding in my ears. _How dare he not even recognize his own sister AND best friend! He didn't even have the courtesy to allow me to finish what I had to say! _I thought. _I don't know how I didn't managed to see right through him. He kept this side of himself from me for fifteen years. And now that he's got enough going for him, he just dumped me, like we had never been friends. How dare he!_ I soon found myself near the witch whose' hump concealed the passage to Hogsmeade. I figured that Cedric, being a prefect, and a champion, would never skip class just to follow me. He probably wouldn't even know what to do with the witch.

So, in an instant, I was through the witch's hump, and rushing down the narrow passage that ended in Honeyduke's basement. After a nice day in Hogsmeade, I returned late in the evening. I went straight up to bed, feeling full and somewhat satisfied. I felt relieved that I had finally let go of the feelings that I had bottled up for over a month now. But there was still this nagging feeling of guilt. Deep down in my heart, I felt that I should have let Cedric say what he meant to. Then a little voice in my head that I had never heard before told me that he deserved what he got, and didn't earn the right to speak. He had done enough talking through his actions. During the last few months of the school year, I avoided Cedric, which was becoming increasingly hard, because he approached me every chance he got.

I began eating early in the morning, loading up on sandwiches for lunch, and eating late during dinner. I also did all my homework in my room, so he couldn't approach me. This only left between classes to worry about. Since most of my classes were on different floors than his, I was able to elude him pretty easily. But somehow, he always seemed to appear every once in awhile, to ask if we could talk. I would tell him no, and walk quickly to my next class. He would then begin following me, so I would start to jog. As soon as I reached my class, I was safe. I had become very good at dodging people in the halls, a skill which Cedric had yet to develop. This complicated agenda resumed up until the third task.

The day of the task, Mum and Dad arrived at Hogwarts. It was a pleasant surprise, until they started to give us strange looks. We obviously weren't chatting the way we normally would. In fact, I was trying to avoid Cedric, as well as any conversation with him. But that evening, during a particularly large dinner, Cedric cornered me while Mum and Dad talked with all the teachers that they knew from their days at Hogwarts.

"Megan. You need to tell me what's wrong."

"You really want to know?" I asked bluntly.

"Yes," he answered patiently. "I really want to know."

"Fine. In here," I said, leading him to an empty classroom. Once inside the classroom, he gave

me an anxious look. I took a deep breath, and began.

"Ever since the second task, you've been ignoring me. Until I confronted you about it you and Cho were doing everything together, and for once you weren't including me. I felt like the glory was going to your head and you were leaving me behind. We've been friends for over fifteen years, living in the same house, having the same friends, sticking up for one another, and always managing to get along. Those have been the happiest years of my life, which makes me a very lucky person. I didn't want to lose you, or this golden age. It's an awful feeling you know, being unwanted."

"And that's why you were avoiding me." I nodded. Deep down, I knew that this is what I had wanted to say during all those long months that I hadn't been speaking to him. It was then that I realized why I had always wanted to be like my brother. It wasn't because he was an amazing seeker, or because he was popular. I wanted to be like Cedric because he was a good person, and a good role model.

"I'm really sorry about what I said," I apologized. "You know I didn't mean it. I was just angry." He hugged me.

"I should be the one apologizing. I can't believe that I would be so stupid. I didn't even realize what I was doing, and then, I was trying to catch up with you, when I should have known all along," he said. I began to cry into his shoulder.

"You don't have to include me in everything you know. Just don't exclude me from everything."

"I know. And from now, I'm going to include you. I'm really sorry that I didn't." He pulled away. "So, are we back on good terms?" He asked, putting out a hand. I pushed his hand away, and hugged him again. No words were needed. I knew from the moment that he returned the hug that we had reached a silent, but mutual agreement. After he let go, I could hear Dumbledore's voice over the bustle of the Great Hall.

""Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now.""

"That's my cue," he said. We both stood up and went our separate ways, Cedric heading towards the Quidditch field, and me back into the Great Hall. I stopped at the large doors that opened to the four familiar tables, and the people sitting at them that I had come to love.

"Cedric," I called. He turned back to look at me. I smiled. "Good luck." He smiled back.

"Thanks." He then turned once again, and left. When it finally came time to sit in the stands of the usually flat surfaced Quidditch field, I sat with all the other Hogwarts students. We had merged into one team rooting for Hogwarts, versus two for Cedric or Harry. My parents had also joined us, but my father wouldn't cheer for anyone except Cedric. As we sat there waving, Cho sent a large yellow ribbon in the air that twisted itself into writing. 'Go Hogwarts' it read. And sparks were flying from every wand, each one showing their house colors. Among the mass of blending colors, was me. I was just sitting there, with my omnioculars to my eyes, looking at Cedric, who was waiting to begin.

""Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"" The sparks flew higher and brighter than before. ""In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!"" After a slight pause, during which the Durmstrangs cheered and the rest of the audience clapped politely, Mr. Bagman continued. ""And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"" More polite clapping. ""So... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!"" I focused my sight even more on Cedric.

""Three - two - one -"" A faint whistle could be heard, and Cedric and Harry ran through the maze. He lit his wand, just as Harry did. Soon they reached a break in the trail. Harry went left while Cedric went right. Then a second whistle blew, signaling Krum's entrance into the maze. I followed the small dot that was Cedric through the maze. Soon, a third whistle alerted the crowd to Fleur's entry in to the maze. I gasped with the crowd when Cedric ran into the Blast-Ended Skrewts. He kept running into wrong ends. Soon, a scream was heard from the maze. It was Fleur. The patrollers from around the outside of the maze ran through and hedges to where the girl lay. She was then taken to Madam Pomfrey.

Later that night, as Cedric was walking along one of the millions of paths, I saw another dot drawing closer. It was Viktor Krum. Cedric turned to look at him, and as he did, Krum lifted his wand to cover him. He yelled something, and suddenly Cedric was on the floor, jerking around. His screams carried up to the bleachers where we were.

"Krum's cast the Crucius Curse on Cedric!!!!!!" I yelled, standing up. "Look!!!! He's done an Unforgivable Curse!!!!!!" I began to run down to the maze. The judges had to know. They had to stop this madness! I ran down to where the judges were, still looking at where Cedric was being tortured. I tried to get down the stairs without tripping, but on the second to the last step, after looking back to where Cedric was still twitching on the floor, I fell. A surge of pain shot through my arm, which I had landed on. I stood up, cradling my arm. I tried to see if Cedric was still there, but the stream of anguish had brought tears to my eyes. Madam Pomfrey came rushing over to where I was.

"Oh my. Come with me. I'll fix you right up!"

"But Cedric!!! He's being tortured! Krum - the Crucius Curse!" I said through sobs.

"You're hysterical. Come, lay down." She said, gently forcing me on to a cot. I tried to get up, but she was holding my arm so that I couldn't move. She put her wand to my arm and muttered a few words. I looked around the tent I was in. Fleur was on a bed beside me, still unconscious.

"You don't understand! Krum's put the Crucius Curse on Cedric!" I cried out, but convincing her was futile while she was mending my arm.

"Nonsense. They've got people patrolling around the outside of the maze. They would get him if anything of the sort happened. Now, please hold still while I apply this cream." She was rubbing a foamy white cream on my arm, which immediately made my arm go numb. She then wrapped it in gauze.

"Where do you want this one?" asked Hagrid as he walked in with Viktor Krum in his arms.

"Lay him on that bed please, Hagrid," she responded. She then walked over to his bed to begin tending to her new patient.

"Good. That means that Cedric is ok," I said to myself, giving a sigh of relief. As she aroused Krum, I waited impatiently. The gasps and applause coming from the world outside was almost unbearable. I waited for over an hour. Then, a familiar face came into the room.

"Megan!! They're gone!! Harry and Cedric are gone!!" Cho yelled as she ran to my bedside.

"What?! What do you mean they're gone?!" I asked.

"The Triwizard Cup was a portkey! They both touched it at the same time, and they were gone!"

"It's probably just another part of the Tournament. A - a tie-breaker!" I said, hoping that I would believe myself.

"Dumbledore's in an outrage. The cup was not supposed to be a portkey."

"Where d'you suppose they ended up at?" I asked. I was getting concerned. If Dumbledore was worried, then there was definitely reason to panic.

"No one knows. But Moody supposes that the person who put Harry's name in the Goblet is to blame." She paused and her eyes began to water. "What if something happens to him?" I didn't have to ask who she was talking about. She was as much Cedric's best friend as I was.

"Don't worry. The tournament's been modified. Remember? It won't be dangerous. The most he'll have is an amazing story to tell us when he gets back." Cho smiled. Those words seemed to give her confidence that everything was going to be all right. "So, what's happened since I left?" Cho launched into a description of how Harry saved Cedric from Krum, how Harry met the sphinx, and the battle against the giant spider.

"And after they both grabbed the cup at the same time, they were gone. They just disappeared," she finished as my mom walked under the tent flap.

"Oh hello mum! Is Cedric back yet?" And then, seeing the expression on her face, I added, "What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you, Megan," she said. Cho took the hint and left.

"What is it Mum?"

"Megan. Something terrible has happened." I immediately grabbed my bracelet. "Cedric - Cedric is - dead." A single tear rolled down her cheek. Something in my head burst. My mind was flooded with questions.

"What? But who? How? How did this happen?"

"Cedric is dead," she repeated with more certainty. "The cup was a portkey. He was taken to You-Know-Who. One of his death-eaters killed him." She managed to talk normally, although it was in monotone. I leaned back onto the pillow that was on my bed. As I was thinking this over, an idea popped into my head.

"Did Fred and George put you up to this? Because this is not funny." She just shook her head.

"Oh, Megan. I know that it's difficult to believe, but you just have to accept it. There is nothing that we can do." My mind was swimming. I would never have Cedric to cheer me up. He would never be there to help me with my homework, or stick up for me when Mum wouldn't let me do something. He would never be there to help me practice Quidditch, or play Exploding Snap with me. No more Wizard's Chess tips. I felt like my whole world had revolved around Cedric, which it had. And now he was gone, and so was the world as I knew it. Just hours earlier, I had told him that I didn't want our friendship to end. But neither of us had any choice in the matter. Suddenly, I felt mad. Cedric had not only been robbed of his newly earned prize of the Triwizard Tournament, but now he had been robbed of the amazing life that he had. He would no longer look upon the beautiful smooth lake that held the merfolk that he had saved Cho from. He would never again catch a snitch, winning the game, or attend another Hogsmeade weekend. He would never see Cho, Mum, Dad, or me ever again.

"Harry said that he was happy when he died. He had just won the tournament," my mum reassured. But I didn't believe it. I knew Cedric better than that. He wouldn't be happy after being transported to a strange location without warning. He would be brave, but still scared. Even though I had found out that night, the shock didn't wear off until the next day. I woke up to the bright sunshine of my dormitory. I walked down to the common room. Then, I saw a sight that will remain in my mind forever. Everyone was dressed in black, even though it was the weekend. In the corner, beside the fireplace, was a coffin. It was surrounded by yellow flowers. Then it hit me. I hadn't been dreaming. Cedric was really gone. He was killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As the shock finally wore off, I began to cry. Not just cry, but bawl. I had never cried so hard in my life. I ran up the stairs and didn't come down for the rest of the day. I sat on my bed, looking at old pictures of Cedric and I, remembering all the good times that we had together. Like when we went to the Wizard Zoo and fed the unicorns, or our first time at Hogwarts, or when Cedric found out that he had been named a prefect and Quidditch captain. That night, I walked to Dumbledore's office, with Mum and Dad. Dad was sobbing softly.

"Professor Dumbledore?" My mum asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Diggory?" he answered respectfully.

"We would like to bring Megan home with us when we leave with Cedric for London. We were just coming to ask permission for her absence for the last few days of the year."

"Yes, of course. I understand. You have my permission. I will alert her teachers immediately."

"Thank you, sir," my dad managed to say between sobs. We turned to go.

"Megan, may I please talk to you for a moment before you leave?" Dumbledore asked. I nodded, then motioned for my parents to go on ahead of me. I sat down in front of his desk. "Cedric was a smart young man. As I've told many people going through this same situation, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

"Yeah, except this time, he will be going alone."

"That is true, but a person is not gone until everyone in the living world has forgotten about them." I didn't understand then what he was talking about, but I nodded and gave a weak smile.

"Thank you Professor." And I left. Later, during the summer, Cedric's funeral took place. My mum asked me if I would like to say something during the ceremony.

"I don't know Mum. But I will let you know." I began to think. Do I want to say anything about Ced? If so, what would I say? Hello. My name is Megan Diggory. I was Cedric's sister and best friend. It's really horrid that he died. It wasn't fair and I wish it were me. Some how that didn't sound appropriate. I would continue working on it. When the day for the funeral finally came, I dressed in black robes. We traveled to Hogsmeade. Normally this would be a great family trip, but this time, we were one short, and a melancholy lot. Dumbledore said that Cedric could be buried in the middle of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. I helped pick out the spot. It was where he had us warm up before a game or a practice - where he would give us a pep talk and advice. Before the casket was laid in the grave, I was brought up to speak to the crowd, which consisted of family, friends, Hufflepuffs, Quidditch teams and Cho. I stepped up onto the platform and took a deep breath before beginning. My bracelet was in my hand.

"Cedric was a great person. We all know that. He was my brother, coach, prefect, mentor and best friend. I would love to stand up here and reminisce about the old days, but instead, I'm going to state my mind. Cedric did not deserve to die. He had such a life ahead of him. He had a great talent on the Quidditch field. He always received excellent marks, and he was a great leader. If he could hear me now, he would be blushing because he is also very modest. He was always my role model. All I ever wanted to do was to be like Cedric. Not because he was popular, a great Seeker, and got good marks, but because he was kind, loyal, and true. Not because he was loved by all, but for the reasons that he was loved by everyone. I often find myself wondering 'why Cedric? What good did it do? Was it to cause terror? To fill the hearts and minds of everyone with fear?' Because I can sincerely say that that hasn't happened to me. Rather I've developed a severe hatred... for Voldemort. I am no longer afraid of the name or the person. Cedric's taught me that you just have to do some things, and not necessarily think about them. Well this decision requires no thought at all. After what he's done to Cedric, I strongly believe that this shouldn't be allowed to happen again. Which is why that after I finish school at Hogwarts, I am going to study to be an Auror, and work against this evil that we are faced with. Cedric would want me to live out my dreams. Now, since he can't live his, I will carry both of our happiness on my shoulders. I think that Cedric would want this for me. I just hope that I can bear on without his love and support. Thank you."

When I finally looked up at the watchful crowd, almost all of which were crying. I stepped down. Once we returned to our empty home in Ottery St. Catchpole, we began to pack up Cedric's old belongings. While packing up his books, Dad came across a small leather bound book. I recognized it as a diary that I had given to Cedric before he left for his first year at Hogwarts. I pocketed the book until I could read it in private. Later that night, while I sat in bed, I began reading the old diary. There were entries from his first day at Hogwarts up until the day before the Third Task, for the book had wizard capacity.

On September 1st, he wrote: Dear Diary, I've finally made it. We traveled to the Hogsmeade Station in a brilliant scarlet steam engine. Then I crossed the lake in little boat. Once we reached the castle, we were sorted. That's where you put on the Sorting hat and it tells everyone which house you most belong in. I am in Hufflepuff. I was scared before the ceremony. People were saying that we had to do a spell in front of the whole school. I don't know any spells yet, so I started to panic. But now that I look back on it, I panicked for nothing. It's too bad that Meg won't come to Hogwarts for another year. I miss her. I hope that she will be in Hufflepuff with me. Then I would have my best friend with me all the time. But somehow, I think that she will get into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw because she is very brave and very smart. Probably more so than me. I only got into Hufflepuff because I am dedicated and work hard at stuff. Anyway, I should go. I start classes in the morning and I don't want to fall asleep in them.

Wow. Cedric thinks that I am braver and smarter than him? Well, now that I'm going to be an Auror, that confidence will come in handy.

Two years later: "Miss Megan Diggory?" called the Auror administrator. I walked into the office after him. "So, you want to be an Auror."

"Yes Sir," I answered respectfully.

"May I ask why?"

"Well, two years ago, my brother Cedric was killed by Voldemort."

"I see that you are past fear of the name," he said, shaking off a chill. "Continue."

"I realized that it wasn't fair for Cedric to die like that. So at his funeral, I vowed that I would become an Auror, and try to put a stop to the evil."

"I see. Well, Dumbledore has sent me your recommendation for this position. You had very good grades. Apparently you were supposed to be in Gryffindor but chose Hufflepuff instead. Why is that, Miss?"

"My brother was in Hufflepuff, and at the time, all I wanted to do was be like Cedric."

"Well, you seem to have the drive and motivation for the position. You will have the job if you can pass the training," He said as he stamped a piece of parchment. He then passed it to me.

"You are to report to Mr. Moody tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning. Make sure that you are prepared to work hard."

"Thank you Sir," I said, taking the paper. A few months later: I sat there nervously, waiting for my name to be called. My parents were on my left, and Cho was on my right. The anxiety was getting fierce. There were butterflies bouncing off the walls of my stomach.

"Megan Diggory!" the Auror administrator finally called. I walked up to the podium where he stood and took the roll of parchment that he handed me. I had graduated, and would soon be on the job as an Auror.

"I guess that you are stronger than we thought," my mum said. The heavens seemed to open up. The gray clouds that had inhabited the sky only moments before were whisked away to reveal a beautiful blue sky, and a rainbow. I looked up at the wonderful sight, and smiled, knowing that Cedric was watching. I now understood what Professor Dumbledore had told me. Only when you forget, do they truly die.


End file.
